boueke



(No Model.) J

- T. H. BOURKE;

PISTON VALVE.

;N`o`.377 599. y Patenta& Feb, 7, 1888.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f THOMAS H. BOURKE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM H TEARE THOMAS R.

OF SAME PLACE.

`TEARE, AND J OHN' T.ABOURKE, ALL

PISTON-VA'LVE.

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377.599, dated February '7, 1888 Application filed April 29, 1837. Serial No. 236.558. (No model.) i

To all whom 't may concerm Be it known that I, THOMAS H. BOURKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in' Piston-Valves for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to duplex connected piston-valves for steam-engines; and the obro jects of my improvements are to provide for readily and quickly adjusting by' expansion the wearing-rings of the connected pistons without the necessity of removing either of the heads of the steam-chest.

The improvement consists in provision for adj usting the pisten-heads upon the piston-rod; for adjusting the wearing-rings of each Valvepiston from without the steam-chest; for taking up wear and accommodating them to any inequalities in the valve-seat; in provisions for adjusting both piston wearing-rings simultaneously and the same distance, so that each is expanded alike and one not more than the other; in provisions for looking the packingrings to the piston-heads and the latter to the piston-rod in such manner that the pistonheads are adapted for longitudinal movement upon thepiston-rod independent of the pisten proper, formed by the wearing-ring and the piston-plates.

The improvement also consists in providing means for evenly spacing the pistons of the valve, so that they will at all times remain in the same relative position to each other upon' the valve-rod and will reciprocate within the cylindrical valve-sat at the same distance from each other and in the same track worn in it by them.

These. objects are attained by the construction which I will now describe, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specificaton, in which- Figure lis a vertical central sectionalview of a steam-chest, valve-se'at, and a duplex connected piston-valve embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side View of the duplex connected piston-valve. Fig, 3 is an edge view of the packing-ring. Fig. 4 is a side view' of the' same. Fig. 5 is a side view of the expanding ring. Fig. 6 is an edge view and section of the same. the pisten-head. .Fig. 8 is a face view of the pisten-head; and Fig. 9 is the adjusting-rod, which tits in the bore of the piston-rod, which itself is shown in elevation in Fig. 10.

The steam-chest, composed of the, shell or casing A, the heads A" A provided with the stufling-boxes a and the cylindrical Valveseat B, having the steam-ports a and the exhaust-port b, and the cylinder or bed of the engine C, provided with the steam-ports a' and the eXhaust-port b', corresponding with the steam and exhaust ports of the Valve-seat, respectively, may he of any 'approved construction in connection with my improvements.

The valve-rod D extends 'entirely through the steam-chest and through the stuffing-boxes in its heads-A' A and it is tubular for a porton'of `its length, the bore d of this. tubular portion beginning a short distance from the head A'and extending through to the end of the rod projected beyond the head A The piston-rod has slots 2.2, which correspond with the position of the adjustable piston-headsB A and extend through the tubular portion of the piston-rod at right anglcs to each other, as

shown in Fig. 10. The adj'usting-rod 4', placed within 'the boreof the rod D, has transverse openings 5 5, (see Fig. 9,) which correspond with the openings 2 2in the piston-rod,to permit the passage of the pins or keys e, Fig. 1, which extend through the openings i'n the piston-rod and in the adjusting-rod and through diameter-openings e', Figs. 7 and 8, in the pistoh-heads, for looking these parts together and with the expanding rings. The openings or slots 2 in the piston-rod extend in the direction of its length and are considerably longer than the widthof the keys e, which fit snugl y within the openings e' of the piston-heads, so that the piston-heads and keys move together when the latter are adjusted upon the piston.-rod.

The adjusting-rod 4: projects beyond the end of the tubular portion of the piston-rod`, and this projected end is threaded and receives the adjusting-nuts 6 and 7 for moving the' rod lon gitudinally relative to the pisten-rod and locking it in a fixed position therein. The nut 7 is the adjusting-nut, and the nut 6 is the jam or lock nut.

The piston-heads 3 are conical-shaped and the expanding rings c, fitted thereon, are cor respondingly eonieal -shaped on their inner sides. The expanding rings c are made in halves and the ends do not come together, so that a space is left between the approximate ends of the halves conposing each ring to receive the keys, which are longer than the diameter of the pisten-heads, so that their ends which project beyond the conical sides of the piston-heads enter these spaces and prevent these ring-sections from turning about the piston-heads, as seen in Fig. 6. 'The packingrings 8, fitted upon the eXpanding rings c, are split and are provided with openings h, Fig. 4, preferably formed by notches in the split ends-of each ring, which openings receive ribs g, projected from the outer surface of one of the sections of the expanding rings, thereby looking the two rings c S together.

By having the conical piston-heads held upon the piston-rod by means of the keys so that they cannot turn, and by having the eX- pandng rings held from turning by means of the ends of the keys fitting into the spaces between the ends of the ring-valves and the packing or wearing rings held from turning by the ribs upon the expanding rngs fitting into the slots or openings h in the said wearing-rings. the pistons will have all their parts prevented from turning within the cylindrical valve-seat, so that when the pistons have worn themselves into a seat they cannot be turned and wear out new places, but will remain in the same relative positions in the seat and may be expanded only sufficient to fit them snugly in their old fit.

By having the openings in the wearingrings formed in the joints of the free ends of the same the rbs upon the expanding rings will serve to form ti'ht joints between the said joints, breaking the same, and will also serve to strengthen the joints, preventing the frietional resistance between the valveseat and the wearing-rings from disloeating the joined ends of the latter.

The paoking and expanding rings are confined between a pair of plates or disks, 9 9, held upon the piston-rod so that the rings can have no longitudinal movement independent of the piston-rod. The piston-heads 3 are located between the plates 9 of each pair and have a limited movement between said plates. The sleeve J, mounted upon the pisten-rod and located between the inner plates, holds them at a fixed distance apart, and the nuts 10 and 11, screwed upon the piston rod and hearing against the eXterior plates of each pair, hold them in position, as will be readily seen in Fig. l.

In the event of wear or from other canses the piston-Valve works too loosely and it becomes necessary to take np this wear, the nut 7 on the end of the adj usting-rod 4 is screwed up, which draws the said rod out and the pisten-heads keyed therewith, and forces the expanding and packing rings c and 8 radially outward. When the desired ad j ustnent is obtained, the jam-nut 6 is turned down upon the nut 7 and locks the bar in position.

The packing-rings are cut so that they may be sprung to fit upon expanding seat-rings,and both these rings are wider than the pistonhead and are held in fixed relation to each other between the piston-plates 9 9 while the pistonhead can be adjusted upon the pistorrod between these plates to expandboth the rings c and 8.

The valve can be adjusted, if desired,while the engine is running by the means which I have described, and in the employment of such provision the valve is kept tight, stean is saved, and no time is lost in tightening the valve wearing-rings upon their seats, which open into the steam-chcst.

The piston-heads proper, it will be seen, are movable upon and in the length of the pistonrod, and are separately inclosed by the plates 9 9 and the expanding rings, while the latter are inclosed by the paeking--ings, and the transverse openings 2 in the pisten-rod, the transverse openings 5 in the adjusting-rod, and the transverse openings e' in the pistor heads are all nclosed by the plates 9 9 and the packingrings c and 8, so that no stean can' escape through these openings into the steam-chest. The piston-plates 9 9 are clamped upon the piston-rod, the inner plates upon the abutting ends of the sleeve J, and the outer plates against a shoulder, f, Fig. 9, on the piston-rod by the jam-nuts 10 and 11; but the piston-heads and their packing-rings are properly fitted and locked to each other before the outer plates are clanped upon the pistonrod. In this fitting of the parts the edges ofthe paeking and adjusting rings have steam-tight joints with the inner sides of the plates 9 9, sothat while the piston proper is i'ormed by the packing-rngs and the plates these parts also form a closnre for the adjustable pistonheads,while the pisten-rod forms a closure for the rod by which the pisten-heads are adjusted both together upon the piston-rod, each within its respective closure, from the outside of the steam-chest, and secured in such adjustmet by a simple lock-nut deviee.

It will be seen that by having the tubular portion of the piston-rod and the adjustingrod slotted at right angles the said rods will not be so much weakened as they would be with both sets of slots in the same plane, and the strain upon the adjusting-rod will fall in two planes at right angles to each other, dividing the strain upon the said rod where it is drawn out to tighten the packings, and preventing any binding or twisting of the said rod.

I claim-- 1. The combination,with a steam-chest havinga cylindrical valve-seat and having stuflingboxes at its ends in the line of the axis of the seat, of a double-pisten valve having its rod lIO sliding in the stufing-boxes and having expansible wearing-rings upon the pistons, and a bar extending outside through one end of the steam-chest and provided with means for simultaneously expanding the wearingrings as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. The conbinatiomwith asteam-chesthavinga cylindrical valve-seat and having stuff ingboxes in its ends, of a double-piston valve within the seat,having its rod sliding in the stufiing-boxes, and having means for expanding its packng-rings from without the stean-chest without opening the latter, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

3. The combination, with the steam-chest having a cylindrical valve-seat and stuffingboxes in its ends in the line of the aXis of the seat, ot' a double-piston valve within the seat, having its rod sliding in the stuffing-boxes and formed with the bore extendng out through one end and having expansible wearing-rings, and an adjusting-rod in the core of the valverod, provided with means for adjusting it longitudinally in the saidbore and with means for sinultaneously expanding the wearing-rings of the piston by its longitudinal adjustment, as and for the purpose shown and set forth."

4. The combination, with asteam-chest-having a cyliudrical valve-seat and stuffing-boxes in its ends in the axial line of the seat, of a double piston Valve having expansible wearing-rings upon the pistons and having its rod sliding in the stuffing-boxes of the steam-chest and formed with a bore extending from one end to the end of the piston farthest from' the hollow end of the rod, an adjusting-rod within the core of the valve-rod having adjusting-nuts at its outer end hearing against the end of the valve-rod, and expanding heads sliding 'upon the valve-rod within the pistons and the eX- pansible wearing-rings and rigidly connected to the adjusting-rod,`as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

5. The conbination of a valve-rod having two outwardly-facing shoulders and having screw threaded portions extending to the shoulders, two inner piston-plates fitting upon the rod with their central apertures, a spacing-sleeve upon the rod separating the inner plates, two outer piston-plates fitted with their central apertures upon the rod and against the faces of the shoulders, and jam-nuts uponthe,

screw-th readed portions of the valve-rod bearing against the outer piston-plates, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

6. `The combination of a valve-rod having two outwardly-facing shoulders and having screw threaded portions extending to the shoulders, two inner piston-plates fitting upon the rod with' their central apertures, 'a spacing-sleeve upon the rod separating the inner plates, two outer piston-plates fitting with their central apertures against the shoulders of the rod, expansible wearing-rings placed between the piston-plates and forming tight joints with their edges against the facing sides of each pair of piston-plates, and jam-nuts upon the screwthread ed portions of the rod clamping theouter plates against the edges of the wearing-rings, as andfor the purpose shown and set forth.

7 The combination, in adouble-piston va lve of the rod, the pistons upon the rod :formed by two pairs of plates separated by means of a' sleeve upon the rod bearing with its ends against the inner plates and having twoexpansible wearing-rings placed between the two plates of each pair and having jam-nuts secur-- valve-rod having bearings in both heads of the steam-chest, piston-heads loosely mounted uponthe piston-rod, an adjusting-rod keyed to the piston-heads and ext-ending outside of the steaIn-chest,` and expansible wearing-rings,

as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

'9. The combination of a hollow valve-rod having transverse slots, truncated conical pis- 'tonheads longitudinally movable upon the rod,'an adju ting-bar longitudinally movable within the bore of the rod and having keys sliding in the slots of the rod and Secured to the pisten-heads and having means for adjusting it in the bore of the rod, and 'expansible' packing or wearing ring-s, asand for the purpose shown and set forth.

10. The combination,with a valve-rod,plates fixed upon the rod, and expanding and wearing rings held between the plates, of a truncated-conical piston-head mounted longitudinally adjustable upon the valve-rod between the plates, as and tor the purpose shown and set forth.

11. The combination,with a valve-rod, truncated conical piston-heads loosely mounted and longitudinally adjustable upon the rod, and expansible wearing-rings, ot' an adjusting-bar keyed to the piston-heads and having means for longitudinally adjusting and 1ockingit,` as

and for the purpose shown and set forth.

12. The combination of a valve-rod having a tubular end portion provided with transverse slots, an adjusting-bar within the rod and having openings corresponding with the slots, adj usting and lock nuts upon the end of the bar,truncated conical piston-heads, divided expanding rings, keys passing diametrically through the piston-heads and through ,the slots in the rod and openings in the bar and having their ends projecting between the ends of the divided expanding rings, and split wearingrings uponthe outside of the expanding rings, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

13. The combination of a valve-rod having a tubular end portion formed with transverse slots, two pairs of plates upon the rod, asleeve interposed uponthe rod between the two pairs of plates, nuts securing the outer plates, au adjusting-bar within the rod and having openings corresponding with the slots, adjusting IOO IIC

and looking nuts upon the end of the bar, truncated conieal piston-headsdivided expanding rings, keys passed diametreally through the pist0n-heads and through the slots in the rod and openngs in the bar and having the ends projecting between the ends of the divided expanding rings, and split Wearing-rings upon the outside of the expanding rngs, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

14. A slidevalve consisting of two pistons, each conposed of a packing-ring, an expanding ring, a eonical piston-head, and inelosingplates seeured upon a hollow valve-rod and having means for sinultaneously longitudinally adjusting the piston -heads upon the valve-rod through a longitudinal bore in the same and outside of the stean-ehest, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

15. The combination, in a double piston valve, of a valve-rod made hollow with longitudinal slots in planes at right angles to each i other, an adjusting-rod within the valvemod having openings oorresponding to the slots and having neans for longitudinaily moving and adjusting it within the bore of the rod, and expanding heads slidng upon the rod and having keys Secured diametrically through theni and passing through the siots and openings in the valverod and adjusting the keys thus standing in planes at right angles to each other, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

16. In an expansibie pistonvaive, the combination of a split packing or wearing ring and a slot in one side with an expanding ring having a rib upon one side fitting into the slot of the wearing-ring, as and for the purpose shown and described.

17. In an expansive piston-va1ve, the combination of a spiit packing or wearing ring having its ends notehed to forn a slot, with an expanding ring having a rib upon one side filati ng into the slot formed by the notches locking the ends of the ring and elosing the joint, as shown and described.

18. Ina piston-valve for stean-engiues, the split packing-ring 8, having its ends notehed, as at h, and the two-part ring c, of wedge shape in cr0ss-section,one part whereof' has the outer surface rib or projeetion, (1 in eonbinatiou with the eonieal piston head 3, having a dianr eter-opening, e', the hollow piston-rod D, having' the eross-s1ot2, the rod 4:, having the crosssiot 5, the looking-key e, and the adjusting and looking nnts 7 G, placed upon the rod 4 exterior to the steam-chest against the exterior holiow end of the pisten-rod, suhstantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ny hand in the presence of two suhserihing witnesses.

TIIOMAS H. BOURKIC.

W'itnesses:

S. Q. KERRUIsH, NV. S. KERRUISII. 

